Structural Engineering Trends for 2020
The world is continually evolving and changing around us as each year passes. One group that feels the impact of this change is structural engineers.
Structural engineers are deeply involved in how to develop the areas we live in and the structures in which we live and work. They are required to meet the shifting demands of our ever-changing world. To meet the demand, solutions are needed, and these solutions develop into yearly trends. Looking to 2020, here are a few trends that seem likely to take shape.
Funding and processes
Innovations in technology are being rolled out at an unbelievable pace. These advancements allow both engineers and builders to streamline their processes. By improving processes, this enables teams to lower overhead and turn around jobs more quickly and efficiently.
Going green
As technology improvement has developed, one of the areas most impacted is the environment. New techniques are allowing structural engineers to take advantage of methods that reduce energy consumption on new projects. The benefits of these changes will be seen and felt for decades to come.
Modular construction
Though not necessarily new, modular construction continues to be an innovative way to design and construct buildings more quickly without sacrificing their integrity and safety. This process is mainly employed in the commercial building industry where box units are either stacked or set side by side.
More recently, modular construction methodologies have begun to be used on residential projects such as basement construction for new homes. There are even areas where entire sections of the home are built off-site and assembled on the foundation, reducing time and labor.
Zero waste practices
Not necessarily a new trend, zero waste practices are becoming more prevalent and look to be more widely adopted. Adopting zero waste practices benefits all involved as it reduces waste when certain materials see their end of life functionality. By incorporating methodology that
takes this into account, parts can be replaced rather than disposed of entirely. One example would be using bolts rather than welds. The benefit of this method is that in future expansion, bolts could be reused rather than entire welded sections needing to be demolished.
Sustainable materials
As a desire for sustainability has increased, so has the progress of new methods of construction. Structural engineers have designed and implemented technology to improve building safety. One example is systems designed to detect seismic activity in areas prone to earthquakes. This technology allows the buildings to detect and react to changes in the earth as they occur. As if this were not enough, engineers have also more recently designed 3D printing and concrete that, upon damage, can repair itself!
As technology continues to advance, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for the engineering process and building improvements. As in the past, these advancements will be exciting to watch develop and even more beneficial to us all. BE Structural is positioned to take advantage of these advancements as they occur. Contact us today to see how we can work together and take advantage of these new trends.